The Brain Game: Chapter 1

"Oww, my aching whole body."

A battered and beaten King Koopa wept on his throne, each of his children doing their part in nursing him to health. Kooky wiped his snout with a washcloth and Cheatsy passed him a steak for his black eye. Bully iced a mammoth bruise on his shoulder and Big Mouth taped gauze on a crack in his shell using medical adhesive. Koopa's sobs turned to screams when the sting of rubbing alcohol shot from a scrape on his shin through his nervous system.

"Daddykins, hold still!" Kootie Pie ordered, "I swear, this first aid kit needs some sedatives."

"I'm sorry, Sweetums," Koopa sniffled, "That hurt Daddy more than defeat."

"And you say I'm the baby of the family," Kootie Pie wrapped gauze on the wound.

"I'll get those spaghetti suckers," He vowed, "If it's the last thing I do."

"If it is," Cheatsy cynically remarked, "That should make for an interesting eulogy."

"I'm going to be out of commission for a while," Koopa announced, "I have no choice but to leave the next evil plan up to you guys."

"Ya have nuttin' to worry about," Bully assured him, "Just leave it to us, King Dad."

"In fact," Kooky raised a finger, "I have something I'd be willing to try on our siblings and it works."

"It works?" Kootie Pie made a face, "I don't like where this is going."

"Come on, Kootie Pie," Big Mouth chastised her, "Don't be what you usually are: A wet blanket, a spoil sport, a cryptic complainer, a spoiled brat, a party p-"

Before Big Mouth could spit out another synonym, Kootie Pie stuck adhesive over his yaw.

"I guess we're off..."

"To your lab, then," Hip and Hop concurred together.

"You won't be disappointed," Kooky promised.

"I'd better not be," Koopa thought to himself.

Kooky led his six siblings out of the throne room and up the flight of stone steps to the Koopa Kids' sleeping quarters. They pressed onward through Kooky's bedroom and into his laboratory.

"Allow me to introduce my Brain-O-Matic Duplicator!" Kooky boasted, showing them a large apparatus meant to resemble a large robotic Koopa Kid's head, "With my superior intellect programmed into this machine, I can turn anybody into a genius!"

"Great," Cheatsy folded his arms, "So we'll all be insane just like you."

"But you'll have your same cheating sneaky personality," Kooky further explained, "With those mixed together, you could be a criminal mastermind."

"And I'll be a tough guy AND smaht!" Bully marched over to the machine, "Let's go, Kooky, how does dis ting woik?"

"Be careful, Bully!" Kooky clasped his hands over his face, "You don't know what that's capable of doing!"

Bully ignored the inventor's warning and started messing with the controls, causing the machine to flash its lights and emit beeps. A red button on the side of the control panel piqued his curiosity so he nonchalantly jammed it. At once, the contraption sounded its siren and steam hissed out of its exhaust pipes.

Kooky could only yell, "Let's Koop away from-" before an explosion rocked the entire laboratory. The impact hurled every Koopa Kid across the room, unconscious.

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Blurred vision and a throbbing headache greeted Kooky upon waking up first out of his siblings. He had a tingling sense that something about him was different but could not put a claw on what exactly it was. He reached for something to help him to his feet and finally did so with the help of a cabinet door normally used for storage.

"Is there a draft in here?" He asked himself, rubbing his bald head.

"Huh, wait!" He felt his head again. Where did his hair go? Did the impact of the blast cause it to fall out? He felt backwards, touching something resembling ribbon on the back of his head. Hey, what was that doing there? Boys don't wear those! With his other hand, he accidentally waved it across his mouth, smearing a pink streak on it.

"No!" Kooky cried out, "This has to be a dream!"

He looked around for something to see his reflection and finally caught one on a beaker. Holding it close, his worst fear materialized. Looking back at him was not his face but Kootie Pie's!

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!" Kooky's terrified scream shattered the beaker right out of his hand.